Sexxy Saturday Cumbia – Ruler of the Underground Sound

Today I was contemplating on the difference between nu cumbia and many of the other underground music styles. It makes me appreciate nu cumbia more knowing that instead of being born underground it was born from mainstream music (which of course at one point was considered underground). That’s a big difference compared to the other styles out there. For example dub-step can now be heard almost everywhere. Even in the background of movie previews on television. It’s also present in much of the top 40 we hear (regrettably in my case). We never have to worry about nu cumbia becoming mainstream. It will always be here for us thriving in the underground music scene. There will never be frauds or posers pretending to be into it from its birth. It’s a similar situation with nu jazz and avante-garde neo classical music. These styles came from the mainstream to the minds of creative producers to take them to new places (where the limit of creativity seems to be limitless). We should all take pride in knowing that no one will ever think we are fraudulent producers jumping on a band wagon. That would be quite an improbable reality.

A good example of how nu cumbia came about from the mainstream can be heard in my good friend and colleague DJ Melo’s live mix from his Down Time Friday’s gig here in Phoenix. Melo can be seen mixing live every Friday night at Filmbar near downtown Phoenix, AZ.

I heard the first part of Napolero Phunqs’ cumbia mix with the audio book reading of ‘To Plant The Tree Of Tomorrow’. This was a little over one year ago and seven months ago I posted part one up here. Recently to my excitement he mixed part one and two together to make a complete track. It’s my pleasure to post it here this week. Listen carefully to the moving words.

Chopping, screwing and remixing cumbia is still dope in my opinion. I remember the first time I heard a chopped and screwed track, I thought it was brilliant. Here we have a new remix by El Mulato with a nice chopped and screwed remix and redrum.

One of the producers I keep coming back to is Matthew Mansfield of Piper Street Sound. He keeps releasing moving work as bate and I keep getting hooked. This one is absolutely sublime to the fullest. The melody is beautiful, the bass intoxicating, the percussion relaxed and the sound of ocean waves only makes it more serene.

As I said before with Matthew Mansfield I encounter the same bait with Pa Kongal. He keeps experimenting with new ideas that no one touches on. The same can be said about his colleagues in Fiestas Pirata Spike Devil Disco and Papi Perez. I can’t label the genre most fitting for his new one but there’s plenty of cumbia in it to make great fortune to be here.

Oh and with Spike Devil Disco he has this whole new sound he created and most of you might not know about. It’s not cumbia but I link you here anyway.

Papi Perez hardly needs my exposure of his track here due to how many of you most likely have already checked it out. However it is brilliant and would be a complete crime for me to over-look it. It has a playful sound to the melody. Here it is in its beautiful cumbia digital-ness.

Rodando en la Cocina sounds like it will be a silly rendition of Rolling in the Deep and if you truly think that then you will be fooled because it came out awesome! I would love a straight 3ball version of it. Oh and by the way El Santisimo you had me at the introduction of the synth bass.

Sonidos Profundos’ work is flawless in my eyes and for that matter ears. Los Mirlos the legendary chicha band we all know (or should know) is given great justice and respect in this remix. I love the dub like delay of the guitar tracks. I love the vinyl scratching sound. I love how the guitars come in and out. I love everything about this.

Well we come to the end. But fear not there will always be more nu cumbia coming out. This week I had a large selection of great work to post. The nu cumbia producers and DJ’s keep me gratefully busy. Until next week peace mi cumbieros!